Get By
Talib Kweli - Get By from Quality (2002) /hip hop/
((This morning I woke up feeling brand new. I jumped up. feeling my highs and my lows, and my soul, and my goals: just to stop smoking, and stop drinking. Well I’ve been thinkin, I got my reasons just to get by. Just to get by.
The prestigious Me, Me, Me awards present the 2003 Winner of:
Catchiest Song, Happiest Cheery But Still Astoundingly Literate Song, Most Hopeful Song, Biggest Smile On Your Face Feel-Good Song, Song That Improved The General Quality Of Life, and Song That Saved My Sorry Ass Award.
It’s hard to count the number of days I wanted to make this the song of the day, but now its time has come. Mostly in light of the fact that today, I’m done school for the year. Nothing outstanding, no projects to worry about over Christmas, no nothing! And so a celebration of some sort is in order. Even though the song is really a rather profound social commentary on the condition of African-Americans, it speaks to everyone about the very simple concepts of joy and hope. I’ve been listening to this song a Lot, over and over again (though I am easing off now so I don’t get sick of it). Having this song stuck in my head made me not care that I wasn’t doing too well on my CMST exam, I just did my best and at the end of the day, I could just put it out of my mind and be happy. But more than that it just made me generally happy, at a time when I was going through a lot of frustration, sadness, anger etc. A while back I decided that Lyrics Born’s I Changed My Mind would be a good break-up song, because it’s catchy and happy, and rationalizes the end of a relationship in a logical, non-bitter way. But in the end, rationality doesn’t mean too much in certain states of mind, and a pure vision of joy and hope is really the best thing, and Get By is really the healthiest kind of break-up song because that’s exactly what Get By does for me. It lets me get by, go on, and be happy about myself and the world.
I let them know we missin you, the love is unconditional/Even when the condition is critical, when the livin is miserable/Your position is pivotal, I ain’t bullshittin you/Now, why would I lie? Just to get by?/ Just to get by, we get fly/The TV got us reachin for stars/Not the ones between Venus and Mars, the ones that be readin for parts/Some people get breast enhancements and penis enlargers/Saturday sinners Sunday morning at the feet of the Father/They need somethin to rely on, we get high on all types of drug/When/All you really need is love
This song is profound in its wonderful combination of catchiness, honest benevolence, and intelligence. I hope you might like it, too.))